An emerald green jewel in Isle sur la Sorgue

 The lovely spot where the waters divide in Isle sur la Sorgue is a shady cool areaof vast flowing waters that is lovely to visit. In the past this area was called Espélugues, which means grotto, or cavity, for it was said that there was a deep hole in which the river waters disappeared before emerging further on.

The Sorgue river gets its start at Fontaine de Vaucluse, then naturally separates into two branches here at the Parting of the Waters.

In the 18th century, a governmental decree dated 27 March 1852 modified the flow of the water in order to power the water wheels which drove local industry. The governmental decree ordered the construction of weir walls to divide the water into 5/12 for Velleron and 7/12 for Isle sur la Sorgue. The weir wall is 60 m long on the Isle sur la Sorgue side, and 35 meters long on the Velleron side.

And the beauty of this flowing water continues to delight today as it has done since time immemorial. The temperature of the water is constant all year long. Winter and summer the water flows at 13°. The clear clean waters maintain the tradition of fishing in the river, which is a Category 1 fishing river. Boating also continues in the traditional Négo-Chin boat (which is said to mean “noie-chien” or drown-dog), a flat-bottomed unstable boat which is used to travel, fish and hunt.

Discover and enjoy the cool clear waters of the Sorgues as it divides in two in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. A haven of peace and quiet beloved to Italian poet Petrarch. Perhaps you too will catch a glimpse the nymphs of the Sorgue, known as the Fantines.

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